Enhancing effectiveness of community-based mammography interventions targeting African American women

Issues: Early detection is crucial to reducing breast cancer mortality rates. African American women of low socio-economic status are at greater risk for breast cancer than other ethnic groups, partially due to lower screening adherence rates. Interventions designed to increase breast cancer awareness and mammography screening adherence among this population have resulted in varying success. Description: The purpose of this review was to synthesize the key findings, conclusions, and recommendations of mammography interventions targeting African American women. Literature searches of Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences collection were conducted. Titles and abstracts were independently reviewed by the authors using three inclusion criteria: 1) community-based intervention, 2) African American women, and 3) publications in English language between 1999 and 2009. A total of 26 studies met the predetermined criteria. Lessons Learned: Lay health providers, physicians, and nurses play an instrumental role in motivating African American females to participate in mammographies, clinical breast examinations, and to practice breast self-examination. Lack of health insurance, limited knowledge, trust, and access to services were barriers for this population to participate in breast cancer screenings. Recommendations: Culturally-appropriate messages are an effective public health approach to increase screening mammographies. Community partnerships were found to assist in offsetting issues related to trust and access. Culturally sensitive tailored messages and interventions delivered in faith-based settings or with a spiritual connotation are effective mediums for increasing adherence to screening guidelines. Tailored messages were found to be more impactful than video or print formats.